A late-July wildfire along the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, Israel, forced swimmers to evacuate the area. As the flames tore through the Betiha Nature Reserve, they burned away thick vegetation and exposed small mounds across the archaeological site of el-Araj.
Many archaeologists believe this location matches the description of the lost biblical Bethsaida, the hometown of the apostles Peter, Andrew, and Philip, and the site of several miracles in the New Testament.
The fire did not uncover intact stone houses hidden beneath plants. Instead, the 2,000-year-old village remains buried beneath layers of soil and ash.
The charred terrain revealed hundreds of meters dotted with earthen mounds, each potentially marking an ancient room, according to excavation director Mordechai Aviam of Kinneret College.
Doubts over Bethsaida’s traditional location
Excavations at el-Araj commenced in 2016 with approval from the Nature and Parks Authority. The work followed doubts about the long-accepted location of Bethsaida at e-Tell, a site about a mile north.
Critics argued that Et-Tell’s high elevation and distance from the lake made it an unlikely match for the modest fishing village described in Scripture and by historian Josephus.
Archaeologist Rami Arav has suggested Et-Tell was the Iron Age capital of biblical Geshur and also Bethsaida. However, el-Araj has produced first-century fishing gear and ruins in a location consistent with ancient accounts.
Finds at el-Araj include a 5th-century Byzantine church-monastery, later built over by Crusaders who established a sugar factory in the 12th or 13th century.
Remnants from earlier centuries have also emerged, but the residential area of the fishing village—later expanded by King Herod Philip into the city of Julias—remained elusive until the wildfire stripped the land bare.
Fire opens new survey opportunities
The blaze started near Amnun Beach and burned for more than 17 hours, fought by 11 firefighting teams with support from six planes and all-terrain vehicles.
When archaeologists returned the next day, smoke still rose from scorched ground. Aviam said the fire created a rare opportunity to survey open terrain around the church without obstruction.
The team found charred blocks and a pillar drum, which suggested the area had once held a public building.
Green shoots were already sprouting from underground reed roots. However, the eucalyptus trees that shaded the site were destroyed, their oil-rich cores burning so fiercely that officials later cut down the skeletal remains for safety.
In its ninth season, the excavation is working toward the Roman layer, which lies beneath Byzantine and Crusader remains.
Aviam believes this layer exists, citing fragments of Roman pottery and the earlier discovery of a Roman bathhouse, a hallmark of urban life in that period. The wildfire has now pointed to new areas for future excavation.
Finds reinforce first-century Jewish village theory
Despite the heat, which often climbs past 40°C (over 100°F), the team works from 6 a.m., ringing a bell for significant finds.
Recent discoveries include a massive limestone vessel fragment typical of Jewish homes during the Second Temple period, which reinforces the theory that Bethsaida was a Jewish village in the first century CE.
One section of the dig is led by Zachary Wong, an audio engineer from Hong Kong who first learned of the project in 2016. Since his second season in 2017, he has returned regularly with his wife and son, Yohan.
In 2022, Wong’s team uncovered an inscription in an early church believed to be in Peter’s hometown. It referred to the “keeper of the keys,” a title associated with Peter, even though it did not spell out his name.
Yohan, who first came to the site at age two, is not allowed to dig but remains eager to assist, often ringing the bell for new finds. He said he prefers the dig to visiting the museum because, at the site, he can touch and smell the history rather than view it behind glass.
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